On Wednesday, January 20, AGSIW Board Member and Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University Bernard Haykel testified in front of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at the hearing “Inside the Mind of ISIS: Understanding Its Goals and Ideology to Better Protect the Homeland.” In his testimony, Haykel stated: Thinking of the Islamic State in purely ideological terms offers only a partial explanation of the jihadist phenomenon in Iraq and Syria.
Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE see the decline of Islamist groups in North Africa as a win for regional stability and cooperation; but even if Islamist parties may be slowly fading from the picture, this by no means suggests they are disappearing.
The same conditions that have enabled steady economic growth in the UAE have also provided legislative loopholes and opportunities for criminal and illicit activities; but ensuring an attractive business environment is a fundamental priority to boost the country’s economic recovery.
Energy transitions are by their nature disruptive, but the pandemic has introduced a risk factor that might play out for years to come.
Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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